


For little monsters with fragile hearts

by A_Nobelmonster



Series: Foster home au [1]
Category: All For the Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-02
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-05-17 18:23:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5881021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Nobelmonster/pseuds/A_Nobelmonster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>David Wymack runs Palmetto’s states home for the young, with the aid of Abbey Winfield on site Nurse and Betsey Dobson , famed child psychologist for troubled youth. Though the home is for problem children and tough cases you will find nothing but an overwhelming abundance of love in this house.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. never let me go

**Author's Note:**

> all of the books triggers still stand and the warnings are for canon events. If you find child abuse/trauma particularly difficult to read this is not the story for you.

By now the sound is commonplace he doesn’t even need to see to know a child is crying somewhere in the house. A muffled whimper of barely contained anguish comes from the dining room. 

Wymack approached the weeping child slowly lowering into a crouch, the auburn curls of the child shake with the weight of his sobs. A kaleidoscope of milky glass shards lay on the floor. He could faintly hear “…i’s-a-ary, pl-uh…..ease don’t be……mad. i don’t wanna-wanna go away.” 

Gathering the small child into his arms his heart broke as the kid flinched before going still in terror, an ingrained response from years of heavy hands and cold heart. Gently he places his palm on one splotchy red cheek to lift the child's gaze, “I’m not mad Neil, it’s just a cup.” Neil shuddered with a wet breath still tense waiting for a blow that would never come, “This is your home too Neil, and this is your family.” he pulled the damp child into a hug. “No ones letting go-”

A flash of brown hair streaks across the living room like a comet “Coach? Neil? what did you say to him?” Nicky glares accusingly at Wymack. He’s Only nine but the gaze goes beyond his years to the point where there is no doubt Nicky would do everything possible to protect the younger boy. 

“I didn’t-”

“Coach made Neil cry” Nicky shouts to the empty room, moments later the cacophony of tiny feet racing down the stairs signals the arrival of the other children. Andrew peers around the corner with his hands tightly grasping Renee's his expression mirroring the other children's. worried. curious. faces full of fiercely protective love for the small boy in Davids arms. 

“HE NEEDS A HUG” Matt shouts closing in the circle to press himself against Wymacks side wrapping a hand around Neils back. The Others follow suit inching themselves as closely as possible to embrace the crying fox. Neil finds Wymacks face a look of startled surprise briefly appears before his expression crumbles once more, the shattering of millions of careful constructed barriers that a small broken child had to build far too young but this time a small smile blooms like sunflowers do, in the sunshine of the other foxes love as well. and the tears of grief are happiness and for just this second everything is OK and nothing hurts. 


	2. Not with a bang but a whimper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil discovers he and Andrew are more alike than he thought. its an uncomfortable realization. Part of Neil wishes he had never come here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i tried to write this as the first chapter but i didn't work. I wanted to start the fanic off right with a bitter sweet joy towards these precious children and now that its started, i can do what i really came for which is the sad sweet moments of these cute babes trying to do their best with what they have.

Seth's head rebounds off the bedroom door, “Don’t touch me.” Andrew looks moments away from throwing up. “Don’t touch me ever again.” the push wasn’t very hard, Andrews hands barely made contact but the surprise and natural reaction to jerk away from danger are enough to send the older boy into the hard surface. 

At the first sign of violence, Neil had fled the room, trying to make himself small. invisible like he had learned to after his father came searching for his to work off a bad mood. It’s difficult to stay present his memories pulling at him a riptide of darkness. He sinks his nails into his wrist, he needs to watch, he needs to know how violent these kids can get. he needs to know if they are a threat to him. 

Seth straightens up after he pushes off the door his face red with indignation his hand drawn back to swing at the smaller boy. Matt’s tall form intercepts ducking and lightly pushing Seth's right shoulder to redirect the fist. 

“Come one Seth be cool, Wymack will call Bee in to lecture us on violence again if you don’t stop.” Seth doesn’t look like he cares about this Bee lady or whatever she has to say but his hands still leveling Andrew with a harsh glare. 

“Tell him to stop being an idiot” turning away he could hear Seth muttering something about “monsters” and “fucking psycho”. Neil pressed himself into the wall as Seth passed him before going down the stairs. He must have made a noise because he looked up to see Matt giving him a kind sympathetic smile. Neil liked Matt a lot, he had been the first one to great Neil when he arrived, 

Neil arrived not with a bang but a whimper. His social worker, however, does enter with a bang, a rapid succession of portato clicks across the scuffed hardwood floor. The social work stands at an elegant 5”7 with choppy blond hair and a black briefcase but all these facts are eclipsed by the other whelming lack of her charge that she seems not at all interested in as she walks towards the back of the house to David Wymacks home office. Neil Josten trundles into the foyer minutes later soaked much like a kitten that fell in a puddle. Which is how Matt Boyd finds the younger boy fifteen minutes later.

“Oh, are you Neil? Wymack said you’d be here. I'm Matt- why are you soaked?” Matt walks to the other boy half a peanut butter sandwich in hand. Matt’s demeanor resembles that of a golden retriever, his kind nature an aura that eases the tension in Neils shoulders instantly. 

“I didn’t have an umbrella, I’m sorry,” he says from behind his fist looking at the ground. 

“No, it's ok, let's get you dry. There is a bathroom down the hall at the end you should probably go change. Where is your stuff? I can go get it?” But there is nothing to get just the small duffle bag in his equally small hand and when Matt notices he tries not to stare too hard. 

“you go change ok? I'll go tell the others yours here, I’ll make sure they don't ambush you.” 

Neil walks down the hallways damp with all his possessions in the world and the scene is too familiar already. how many time had he and his mother walked into places for a moment of sleep before their feet could say in one stop no longer. How any times has Neil moved from placed to place like a loose dandelion seed set to an arbitrary adrift? This would be no different, just like the foster home before this was no different. The change is quick and painless as it can be. He pays enough attention to familiarize himself with the restroom and change. he doesn’t look in the mirror and he doesn’t spend long looking at the personal effects of the other children. For all his effort he still sees’s there are five toothbrushes each one labeled with a name ‘Nicky’ ‘Seth’ ‘Danielle’ ‘Renee’ and ‘Andrew’. Each child seems to have been assigned a specific color theme for their things. Shades of blue, pink, green, yellow and orange clutter every available surface in hair brushes and cups and towels. 

Once he’s finished he sets off to find the boy named Matt who sits where he left him at the entrance to the living room half covered with a light blue blanket he unceremoniously drapes over Neil when he;s within reach. The fabric is soft and puffy smelling slightly of the rain and fabric softener, it's the best things he’s smelled in a very long time. its the safest he’s felt in a very long time. his face is so soundly buried in the cloth Matt has to gently shepherd him until fall onto the couch. 

For a long time they just sit there Matt providing a stream of dialogue as steady as the rain, he tells Neil all of the names of the kids there and their stories. He doesn’t go into detail but he makes it a point to tell Neil that they all came from bad places but this house is a good place and no one will judge him for whatever happened. 

It takes Neil approximately five minutes to decide that Matt is his favorite that first day sitting on the couch by the fire listening to the older boy. 

In this moment, he knows he wasn’t wrong to like Matt. At first, he had been afraid the kindness was an act. that is was just a matter of time before he saw an uglier broken version of the true Matt. Neil is glad that for once he read someone wrong. 

Andrew still looks ill, much too pale for his already light skin but at least, he doesn’t look like he’s going to vomit. His moving like he’s praying, “don’ttouchmedon’ttouchmedon’ttouchmepleasepleaseplease….” He looks like he’s fraying, a splintering window looking into something far too fragile to be on the outside. Not for the first Neil thinks that he and Andrew have more in common than any child should.

“DINNER!” Wyacks voice resounds through the house echoed by the high arch ceilings. Matt turns to Andrew the face of a concerned puppy, he’s about to speak with Andrew  
lift his chin up. In the brief pause of time, he’s put himself back together effectively sealing off the fragile terrified boy inside. It’s done so well Neil can tell this is not a first. Its a practiced move built for survival. Neils afraid to as what Andrew is surviving from,

“Let’s go,” it's short and cold, a sliver of fear works its way into Neils' heart but he follows the other boys as they go downstairs into the kitchen to.


	3. the ones who love us most

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan and Matt get married. there are pop-tarts and kool-aid. Nicky cries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've had half of this written and collecting dust for so long but im really trying to finish the projects i have before starting new ones right now. 
> 
> ngl a bit of this scenes imagery was inspired by Charlie Browns thanksgiving movie and keeping with that theme  
>  I wanted it to be at once series and childish because it is a wedding being thrown by 11 year olds.

Saturday is a day for tears. or rather the hints of tears in too bright eyes and wobbly smiles. Neil can feel it as soon as he wakes up, the room is still dark in the early morning, Andrew is sleeping fitfully in the bed across from him . A shock of blond hair against the seafoam color of the bedspread. Nicky’s bed is empty which is only unusual in the fact that Nicky would sleep 14 hours a day if no one got him up for meals or school. 

Neil doesn’t have to travel far to find the other boy, he’s on the sofa facing the t.v. which has yet to be turned on. Dinosaur patterned footie pajamas peek out from the cocoon of blankets covering his thin form. An emptiness lingers in his eyes, a severe juxtaposition of his normally bubbly disposition. It’s like seeing the switch in someone turned off, he’s just sitting, existing without effort like Neils mother used to .

“Nicky?” he wants to put his hand on Nickys face and smooth away the sadness in his brows but Neil doesn’t have enough experience with kind hands and he’s worried his hands won't obey him. Nicky turns to him in mute surprise a forced smile flutters to his face opening his mouth, once twice , nothing. The older boys eyes shut tightly as he turns away. 

“i had a dream about my parents.” he whispers when Neil is sitting on the couch beside him, “my dad is standing there and he keeps say “what did i do wrong? what did i do wrong?” and i don’t know what he’s talking about but he’s saying this to me. I can here my mom crying in the background , its like there's something in me that's wrong and hes asking me how to fix it but i….... “ Neil grips his hand tightly leaning into Nicky, “what's wrong with me Neil?” 

“Nothing.” the conviction in his voice shocks them both “ your smart and brave and...and your smile is like all of the best things in the world rolled into one. There is nothing wrong with you Nicky, …….so please dont cry.” It feels hypocritical to give Nicky advice when he didn’t even know why his own father hated him but he’d do anything to stop the look of heartbreak on Nickys face. 

Nicky doesn’t say anything but he gives Neils hand a squeeze before turning on the t.v. to cartoons. He doesn’t cry but his eye’s shine with moisture. they don’t have long to wait before the others trickle down everyone is awake by nine a.m., Renee in her sleep ruffled pigtails, Kevin with his exy motif pillow and blanket, one by one they put their things down creating a nest of soft things around the sofa and coffee table before moving to the kitchen. 

Everyone has a bowl of cereal in front of them when Matt turns to Wymack, 

“oh, we're having a wedding today"says Matthew. Wymack quirks an eyebrow

“really now. Who's getting married?”

Matthew gives him an incredulous stare but Danielle beats him to it, “me and Matt of course. he gave me a promise ring" she wiggles the thin spiral loops of a key chain at him, Matthew nods ,

“if you love somebody you have to show it so we're getting married so she knows I'm serious about her.”

Rene smiles, “do we have any cake. So its a proper wedding?” 

Wymack is hiding the smile behind his spoon he pretends to chew thoughtfully before saying, “no but we have some pop tarts you could use.” Danielle looks disturbed at the thought of having to use pop tarts at her wedding , Nicky, smiles for the first time since Neil found him downstairs.

It’s a little easier to breath now.

Matt looks to Danielle and shrugs, “I don't care what we have as long as I get to marry you.”  
-

Apple blossoms carpet the unkempt lawn as kitchen chairs and stools are dragged hastily from the house. 

Nicky leaves for several moments before returning with two new children. a well dressed blond named Allison who looks like a fairy queen amidst the flowers and a shorter brunette whose curls effortlessly attract leaves but instead of making him look rumpled only served to make him look ethereal as well. 

The neighbor children cohesively blended into the busy household. Matt picks red clovers from a patch by the fence and that Allison wove as best she could into Danielle's curls, with the help of bobbie pins Allison arranges a very regal looking crown. 

Neil was pretty certain that the groom wasn’t supposed to see the bride before the wedding but he didn’t think the others were much for rules. 

looking through the open door of the house he could see Andrew arranging odd snack foods on the dining room table now adorn with a cream knit cloth. Clumsily cut pink roses rested in varying sizes of mason jars amongst the platters of poptarts, a plastic bowl of fruit punch kool-aid, saltine crackers and chocolates in the shapes of shells. Though he had only been able to discern that they were chocolates and not ugly brown cookies upon moving to the patio to tape fairy light to the side of the house with Nicky. 

Andrew was crouched on the seat of a chair contentedly arranging the sweets while sampling a few for what Neil would like to think, was the greater good of symmetrical displays. Alone, this Andrews body language was shockingly open. A pleased look settled itself in the upturned curve of his pale mouth. He couldn’t stare long before, Can’t help falling in love by Elvis permeated the air. He wouldn’t have know even who was singing if not for Nicky smiling, “theres something about Elvis huh? He makes you want to fall in love or be in love.” Neil would have to take his word for it, he didn’t have enough experience to form an opinion of his own. 

Somehow they were all seated and ready by three, Matt , Danielle and Wymack stood at the front of the chairs. Wymack had been given a rose but do to his lack of chest pocket set it in the front of his shorts. Danielle had a small eclectic bunch of wild mint, black eyed susans and dandelions clutched in her hands. Matt was holding the rings. 

The soft repeated hum of Elvis mixed with the pleasant warm breeze of the afternoon grasped Neil in daydreams through Dans and Matts vows, beside him Kevin dutifully took pictures with and antique looking Polaroid. Nicky started to tear up while they exchanged rings in a way that looked both very happy and very sad at the same time. As if he would like to be the person standing up there. 

May he did. Maybe normal people like Nicky wanted to get married, maybe the idea made him happy. Neils only reference was his parents and that certainly did not make marriage a desirable thing. 

After the kiss, on the cheek because Wymack said it was “too damn soon for anything other than that.” the bouquet was thrown. Neil loitered off to the side already becoming tired with the days activities and watched the high arc of the flowers before the kitchen twin around them unraveled spraying multiple guest with colored petals. Seth, Renee and Allison all caught a flower quizzically looking at each other before accepting the outcome as favorable. The others spread apart moving chairs to the perimeter of the lawn to dance. 

They moved like leaves lazily through the wind from the lawn to the patio to the kitchen and back. 

gold light of the afternoon fell through the trees in dappled patterns on the patio where Neil moved to sit with his small plate of food.   
While he chewed thoughtfully on a butter cookies dusted with powdered sugar he considered the newlywed pair spinning one another on the lawn. Barefoot and jubilant . A hopeful feeling settled into his chest, one that whispered how nice it would be if Dan and Matts was a love that lasted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think no matter what age Allison would be a great wedding planner, also a sweetheart. She's the one who brought most of the food. and gathered flowers etc. 
> 
> like Neil im also kind of jaded by the idea of enduring love, id like to think as well that if anyone can be happy and in love for ever that its Dan and Matt.


End file.
